Haystack

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Haystack Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and reserve to the foundations, arranging each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace through King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Reserve: Deal eight cards face up in a single reserve pile, splayed downward so all are visible.
• Tableau: The remaining 44 cards are dealt into the main play area (the tableau) according to the variant's specific layout, but official sources specify the unique feature is the single reserve pile of eight face-up cards.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles, one for each suit, start empty.
• Stock: Any leftover cards after the tableau and reserve are placed face down as the stock pile (if applicable; some implementations may use all cards in tableau and reserve).
• Face-Up/Face-Down: All reserve cards are dealt face up. The tableau and stock arrangement may vary, but typically the tableau is face up or has only the top card face up, and the stock is face down.

Key Play Areas:

• Reserve: Holds up to eight face-up cards.
• Tableau: Main area for building sequences.
• Foundations: Where completed suit sequences are built.
• Stock: Supplies additional cards if not all are dealt to tableau and reserve.

Haystack Solitaire Rules:

• Reserve Pile:
• Up to eight cards can be stored in the reserve at any time.
• Cards may be added to the reserve regardless of suit or rank.
• All cards in the reserve are always face up and available for play.
• Tableau Building:
• Build sequences on the tableau according to the variant’s rules (often by descending rank and alternating color, but specific Haystack rules may vary; official sources highlight the reserve as the unique mechanic).
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Foundations:
• Build up by suit from Ace to King.
• Only cards of the same suit and in ascending order may be placed on a foundation.
• Card Movement:
• Move cards from tableau or reserve to the foundations when possible.
• Cards from the tableau may be moved to the reserve (if space is available) or to other tableau piles if the build rules are met.
• Cards may be moved from reserve to tableau or directly to foundations.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move any available card (from tableau or reserve) to a foundation if legal.
• Move cards between tableau piles according to building rules.
• Move cards from tableau to reserve (if fewer than eight cards are in the reserve).
• Move cards from reserve back to tableau or to foundations.
• If a stock is present, draw cards as per variant rules (not always applicable in Haystack).
• Play continues until no further legal moves can be made.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all cards are successfully moved to the foundation piles, with each suit arranged in order from Ace to King.
• Losing: The game is lost (or unwinnable) when no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces: If a tableau pile becomes empty, the rules for filling it may vary; in many reserve solitaire variants, only specific cards (such as Kings) may fill empty tableau spaces, but official Haystack Solitaire rules focus on the reserve mechanic and do not specify unique tableau filling rules.
• Reserve Limit: The reserve pile may never contain more than eight cards at any time.
• Reserve Flexibility: Cards can be added to the reserve regardless of suit or rank, but only if there is space (maximum of eight cards).
• No Stock Recycle: If a stock is used, recycling may not be permitted (varies by implementation).

Note: The defining feature of Haystack Solitaire is the single reserve pile of eight face-up cards, which distinguishes it from similar variants like Needle Solitaire, where the reserve may be unlimited. All other mechanics generally follow standard reserve solitaire conventions unless otherwise specified.